Rebbe Nachman of Breslev teaches that music comes from one of the upper portals of heaven. Musicians therefore tend to be highly spiritual individuals. It seems that quite a few musically-talented people are a step ahead of everyone else in preparing for the full redemption of our people, the coming of Moshiach, and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, our holy temple in Jerusalem. One of those very special people is Robbie (Zeev Zalman) Ludwick, of Silver Spring, Maryland.
Heavy
-metal Robbie of the 1980's
Robbie at 42 has gone through quite a metamorphosis over the years. A musician since his teens, he was one of the top heavy-metal bass players in the Washington Metro Area. He starred in the movie "Heavy Metal Parking Lot", and in addition to being a talented performer, Robbie has also composed many of his own songs, as evident in his CD "Sea Thru Me".
A survivor of the Drugs-and-Groupies heavy metal culture, Robbie has mellowed through Tshuva. He now plays a really sweet form of bluegrass and country-western, his music bearing the obvious influence of his mentor and close friend, the grammy award winning, father of Bluegrass Banjo, Dr. Ralph Stanley. Instead of firing up a joint, Robbie now he fires up the fireplace, opens his Tehillim, and strums the praise of Hashem on any one of his custom-crafted string instruments - guitar, banjo, or mandolin.
Robbie says that the big change happened for him after dipping in the Ari's Mikvah in Tsfat and visiting the graves of the Tzadikim such as Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai seven years ago. In his words, "The yoke of Slavery left me and so did my earrings and long hair, symbols of my old lifestyle!"
Robbie Ludwick, luthier - fortunate is the violin that merits his tender-loving care
The combination of Robbie's golden hands, sensitivity, and love of music have evolved into a worthy profession - a "luthier", a craftsman that builds string instruments. Today Robbie repairs violins for one the the the premier Violin shops in the country. Soon, G-d willing, he'll be repairing string instruments in the Beis HaMikdash. "Every rabbi I meet tells he how fortunate I am," says Robbie. "They say that my skills will be in demand when Moshiach comes." That's an understatement.
Robbie believes that Hashem listens to prayer, even when it's in your own words, for he tries to speak to Hashem the way King David used to, through his stringed instruments! Robbie is truly fortunate, for as soon as the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt, G-d willing, the Levites will need master craftsmen to care for, maintain, and repair all their string instruments. According to Halacha (religious law), no sacrifice in the Holy temple is complete without the accompanying singing and music of the Levites. The Jewish people certainly need such special individuals as Robbie "Zeev Zalman" Ludwick.
Robbie handles a violin as if it had a soul; by the time he's finished with it, it does! If you have an old violin in the closet that needs to have life breathed back into it, contact Robbie at ROBBIEZEV(at)aol.com
